1992 WMHB Atlantic hurricane season
The 1992 Atlantic hurricane season was a below average season in terms of both named storms and hurricanes. It was the first season since 1987 to feature only 1 major hurricane and also featured the lowest number of named storms since that year. The season's strongest, most notable, and only major hurricane was Hurricane Earl, a damaging Category 3 hurricane that also became the first major hurricane to strike New England since Hurricane Carol in 1954. The season officially started on June 1st, although development is possible at any time of the year as shown with Hurricane Andrew, which developed on April 21st. The season officially ended on November 30th, although the season's last storm, Hurricane Hermine, dissipated nearly an entire month before the season's end. Seasonal Summary ImageSize = width:800 height:240 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:20 left:20 Legend = columns:3 left:30 top:58 columnwidth:270 AlignBars = early DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/04/1992 till:01/12/1992 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/05/1992 Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.88) id:GP value:red id:TD value:rgb(0.38,0.73,1) legend:Tropical_Depression_=_<39_mph_(0–62_km/h)_(TD) id:TS value:rgb(0,0.98,0.96) legend:Tropical_Storm_=_39–73_mph_(63–117 km/h)_(TS) id:C1 value:rgb(1,1,0.80) legend:Category_1_=_74–95_mph_(119–153_km/h)_(C1) id:C2 value:rgb(1,0.91,0.46) legend:Category_2_=_96-110_mph_(154-177_km/h) id:C3 value:rgb(1,0.76,0.25) legend:Category_3_=_111-130_mph_(178-209-km/h) id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.56,0.13) legend:Category_4_=_131-155_mph_(210-249_km/h) id:C5 value:rgb(1,0.38,0.38) legend:Category_5_=_>=156_mph_(>=250_km/h) Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas BarData = barset:Hurricane bar:Month PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:11 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:21/04/1992 till:27/04/1992 color:C1 text:"Andrew (C1)" from:18/06/1992 till:22/06/1992 color:TS text:"Bonnie (TS)" from:06/08/1992 till:09/08/1992 color:TS text:"Charley (TS)" from:17/08/1992 till:18/08/1992 color:TD text:"Four (TD)" from:01/09/1992 till:07/09/1992 color:TS text:"Danielle (TS)" barset:break from:10/09/1992 till:22/09/1992 color:C3 text:"Earl (C3)" from:21/09/1992 till:26/09/1992 color:TS text:"Frances (TS)" from:02/10/1992 till:09/10/1992 color:C2 text:"Georges (C2)" from:01/11/1992 till:07/11/1992 color:C1 text:"Hermine (C1)" bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/04/1992 till:01/05/1992 text:April from:01/05/1992 till:01/06/1992 text:May from:01/06/1992 till:01/07/1992 text:June from:01/07/1992 till:01/08/1992 text:July from:01/08/1992 till:01/09/1992 text:August from:01/09/1992 till:01/10/1992 text:September from:01/10/1992 till:01/11/1992 text:October from:01/11/1992 till:01/12/1992 text:November TextData = pos:(570,30) text:"(From the" pos:(617,30) text:"Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale)" Systems Hurricane Andrew A strong low pressure system developed at the end of a stationary cold front on April 20th. By 14:00 UTC the next day, the low had transitioned into a subtropical storm while off the coast of North Carolina. 4 hours later, the subtropical storm had transitioned into a fully tropical system, receiving the name Andrew from the NHC. Andrew continued to strengthen until hurricane-force winds were reported in the storm's center. Therefore, it was upgraded to Hurricane Andrew, becoming the first storm and also first hurricane of the 1992 season. Tracking northeast across the Atlantic Ocean, Andrew held its strength as a hurricane for a long time despite cool water temperatures. The storm reached its peak intensity while around 300 miles southeast of Newfoundland. Thereafter, the storm began to weaken significantly over the cold early-season waters of the northern Atlantic. By April 26th, Andrew was rather disorganized, and it was determined to have transitioned to an extratropical low at 8:00 UTC before being absorbed by another extratropical system further to the north. Tropical Storm Bonnie A tropical wave was present over the tropical Atlantic on June 17th. A high-pressure ridge to the north allowed convection in the wave to increase, and on June 18th had sufficient circulation to be classified as Tropical Depression Two. The depression was initially slow to organize, but on June 18th strengthened into Tropical Storm Bonnie while just east of the Bahamas. Continuing northwest, Bonnie gradually intensified, reaching its peak intensity with wind speeds of 50 mph (85 km/h) on June 20th while approaching Georgia. Bonnie came within 40 miles of the coast before turning back towards sea. Bonnie produced tropical storm-force winds from Georgia to North Carolina as it hugged the coastline. Land interaction eventually caused the storm to weaken, and it became a tropical depression while accelerating northeast. Finally, on June 22nd, Bonnie was absorbed by a cold front off the coast of Maryland. Tropical Storm Charley A weak tropical wave exited the African coast on August 4th. Moving into an area favorable for development, the wave began to strengthen. By August 6th while around 1,300 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, the wave had organized into Tropical Depression Three, the first depression in over a month. As it swiftly tracked west across the tropical Atlantic, the depression continued to intensify, becoming Tropical Storm Charley at 22:00 UTC. Late the following day, a tropical storm warning was issued for Trinidad and Tobago. On August 8th, Charley made a rare landfall on the island of Trinidad, bringing heavy rains to the region. Rain and gusty conditions were also felt further south into Venezuela, and mudslides caused by the storm caused 24 fatalities as well as $20,000 (1992 USD) in damages. Shortly therafter, Charley began weakening due to close proximity to the South American landmass. While moving rapidly at an unusual speed of 28 mph, Charley weakened to a tropical depression on August 9th. At 20:00 UTC, a flight into the system reported that it had opened up into a tropical wave while over the southwest Caribbean Sea. Tropical Depression Four A trough was present over the Gulf of Mexico on August 16th. Expected to strengthen further, the NHC gave the disturbance a high chance of development. On August 17th, the trough became Tropical Depression Four. Moving northwest through the Gulf of Mexico, the depression was affected by moderately strong wind shear, and did not strengthen significantly. On August 18th, the depression ultimately came ashore the border between Texas and Mexico, bringing heavy rainfall and causing landslides in Tamaulipas that took the lives of 5 people. As it moved further inland, the depression rapidly weakened until it dissipated over Mexico at 16:00 UTC. Tropical Storm Danielle On August 30th, a tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa. Drifting westwards, development was initially expected to be slow to occur as some dry air was intertwined within the system. However, when the wave moved into an area more favorable for development, it began to organize and strengthen. On September 1st, the wave was classified as Tropical Depression Five while north of the Leeward Islands. The depression continued strengthening and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Danielle at 19:00 UTC. The storm's forward speed began to decrease after being upgraded, but it continued to gradually strengthen as it tracked northeast across the Atlantic Ocean. Danielle's wind speeds measured at 60 mph (95 km/h) on September 3rd while it was located around 370 miles north of Hispaniola. Warm water temperatures allowed Danielle to maintain its strength for a long period of time. On September 4th the storm recurved out into the open Atlantic. Its tracked shifted further to the north towards Bermuda, and on September 6th made landfall on the island with wind speeds of 55 mph (90 km/h), bringing heavy rain to the entire island and causing major wind damage and beach erosion. Damage was minimal, however, and no injuries were reported. Interaction with a frontal boundary north of Bermuda caused Danielle to rapidly weaken until it finally merged with the front on September 7th. Hurricane Earl The remnants of a frontal boundary merged with a tropical wave to create a subtropical low over the Bahamas on September 10th. Because of warm water conditions, the subtropical low quickly transitioned into a tropical depression at 14:00 UTC. As the depression tracked northward, it continued to strengthen and organize due to highly favorable conditions. As expected, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Earl on September 11th. Shortly thereafter, the storm began to rapidly intensify into a hurricane at 22:00 UTC. Due to uncertainties in Earl's track, which although was expected to be northerly, could shift at any time due to ridging from the east. Earl continued to the north, strengthening into a Category 3 major hurricane, the first of the year, off the coast of North Carolina. Earl's path was expected to take it towards New England, and a hurricane warning was issued for Massachusetts. Moving quickly northward at 20 mph, Earl temporarily weakened into a Category 2 hurricane, but restrengthened despite cool water temperatures. On September 14th, Earl made landfall on Cape Cod, MA as a Category 3 hurricane. The first major hurricane to strike New England since Hurricane Carol in 1954. As a result, damage was very severe with $3.1 billion (1992 USD) in damages being inflicted upon the New England region. The storm caused 12 fatalities with 9 of them being direct. Earl weakened rapidly due to a combination of cool waters and land interaction, and Earl became a strong extratropical cyclone shortly after landfall. Turning to the east, Earl raced across the Atlantic at 32 mph as a weakening extratropical cyclone. On September 22nd, Earl dissipated just west of Ireland after days of travelling across the northern Atlantic at high speeds. Tropical Storm Frances A long-tracked tropical wave finally began to show signs of significant organization on September 20th. At 5:00 UTC the next day, the wave became Tropical Depression Seven. Despite an elongated appearance, the depression continued strengthening, and Hurricane Hunters aircraft reported flight-level winds of 50 mph, suggesting surface-level winds of 45 mph. Thus, the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Frances at 15:00 UTC. Frances strengthened to its peak intensity of 50 mph (85 km/h) on September 22nd as it was tracking west across the Atlantic. On September 23rd, Frances began to turn to the east, and advisories were discontinued for Florida. Frances began to weaken on September 24th, and it was downgraded to a tropical depression at 18:00 UTC. The next day, Frances began to undergo an extratropical transition as it maintained a very elongated appearance. On September 26th, the storm degenerated to a post-tropical remnant low before finally dissipating at 20:00 UTC. Hurricane Georges A tropical disturbance developed in association with a tropical wave and an upper-level trough over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. Amidst a conducive environment, the disturbance became a tropical depression on October 2nd. Strengthening was quick to occur, and the NHC designated the depression as Tropical Storm Georges the following day. Tracking northeast towards the Florida peninsula, Georges underwent a period of rapid intensification, becoming a hurricane at 18:00 EST on October 3rd. As it was approaching Florida, Georges continued to strengthen, and reached its peak intensity on October 4th as a Category 2 hurricane. Shortly afterwards, Georges made landfall near Florida's capital, Tallahassee, as a Category 2 hurricane. Although a relatively weak storm at 105 mph (165 km/h), Georges caused major damage across the Florida panhandle, with an estimated $1.4 billion (1992 USD) in economic losses being caused by the storm. 7 direct fatalities were blamed on Georges as it continued to track inland, rapidly weakening. Georges emerged over the Atlantic Ocean as a weak tropical storm, and on October 8th began to undergo extratropical transition. At 20:00 EST on October 8th, Georges became an extratropical storm around 400 miles off the coast of Georgia. The extratropical remnants of Georges continued to move swiftly northeast across the Atlantic Ocean before finally dissipating on October 9th. Ultimately, Georges caused at least $1.4 billion in damages, primarily from severe coastal flooding and tornadoes spawned by the storm. Hurricane Hermine A trough of low pressure stalled over the Atlantic Ocean late in October. By November 1st, the trough had sufficient organization to be classified as Subtropical Depression Nine. The subtropical depression transitioned into a fully tropical system while around 1,000 miles southeast of the Azores. Then, on November 2nd, the depression became Tropical Storm Hermine. Strengthening continued, and Hermine became a hurricane on November 4th. Tracking swiftly northward, westerly wind shear impacted the cyclone, causing it to struggle to intensify. Hermine weakened back to a tropical storm on November 5th, but it restrengthened and reached peak intensity on November 6th while 550 miles southeast of the Azores. At 22:00 UTC, Hermine became a post-tropical cyclone. As it raced northward across the cold northern Atlantic, Hermine began to interact with another extratropical system, and it was asbsorbed into the larger cyclone on November 7th. Storm Names The following names were used for tropical cyclones that formed in the Atlantic in 1992. This list is the same list used in 1986 with the exception of Andrew, which replaced Allen after the 1986 season. The names not retired from this list were used again for the 1998 season. Retirement In the spring of 1993 at its annual committee, the World Meteorological Organization retired the names Earl and Georges from its rotating name lists. They were replaced by Ethan and Gaston, respectively for the 1998 season. Despite not being officially retired, the name Frances was removed from the list by the World Meteorological Association during the 1993 meeting due to a request by France. Its replacement in the 1998 season was Fiona. Category:Past Hurricane Seasons Category:WMHB seasons (Cooper) Category:WMHB Seasons (Cooper) Category:What-might-have-been seasons